A Sense of Achievement ;)

As a thank-you for blogging about their Alive is Awesome Campaign, Cinthol sent me a really cool hamper! I'm loaded with six super-fragrant soaps, a large deodarant and an MP3 player. Check out its latest offerings below:

The joy I felt on receiving this hamper and the way I was showing it off to the family got me thinking. On the surface, the hamper obviously wasn't extravagant. Its value lay in that it was a gift, a surprise, an acknowledgment. As a writer, I create a lot of content in return for fees. This gift is the first "in kind", and it feels good to be appreciated for my work!

In fact, this same sense of achievement is a large part of the thrill one feels when playing indulging in adventure bathing. For instance, if you are one of the mere 100 people who get a pass to slide to the bottom of the Tallulah Falls; it isn't just about the sheer exuberance of making the slide, it's also about being amongst those lucky 100!

For those of you who aren't quite certain what I am referring to, look up the Tallulah Gorge in Georgia, USA. This deep gorge features amongst the world's natural wonders. The falls are actually a combination of six separate waterfalls, gushing into one. Make a (not-for-novices) descent down 590 stairs and clamber over some very slippery rocks along the Bridal Veils Falls. This strenuous 3.5-mile hike  brings you to the floor of the gorge.  

If you fall amongst the Lazy Human Beings Club that I chair, you would probably wonder why you should make all this effort. Well, my friend, the key to this mystery lies in the smooth, scary, slippery rock that you encounter right at the end. Because it is on this 17-foot-high rock that you tentatively place your toughened, tired body. And then you let go of your inhibitions and - SLIDE! Yes, you actually get to swim at the bottom of this wondrous gorge.

And this experience will leave every tingling pore of your being screaming, "Alive is awesome!"